Welcome to NCSC XXXVI and to the Ad-hoc Committee on Western Sahara 2010! My name is Raluca Tavaluc and I will be your co-chair for the duration of the weekend. I am a senior at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service where I am majoring in Science, Technology and International Affairs, completing my pre-medical requirements and pursuing a certificate in International Business Diplomacy. A native Romanian, I have a deep interest in international relations and plan to pursue a career in health and international development. After serving on many secretariats since freshman year and especially after being the Secretary-General of NCSC XXXV, I am very excited to change gears and take part in the heart of Model UN: the simulations.

Madeline Sopko is also a co-chair for the committee. Madeline is a senior in the School of Foreign Service. She credits her high school involvement in Model UN with her interest in foreign affairs and her desire to escape the clutches of her provincial hometown of Avon Lake, Ohio. She has staffed various conferences through the Georgetown IRC, including NCSC, and has a reputation as a stickler for parli-pro. She will be graduating after this semester (she hopes) with a degree in Comparative Studies: Latin America and the Middle East. She is planning on staying in D.C. and working in the non-profit sector, if she can afford housing and food on a do-gooders’ salary.

Elizabeth Zielinski is our co-director. Elizabeth is a senior in the School of Nursing and Health Studies, majoring in Human Science and completing an honors thesis. She wants to pursue an MD-PhD and in the future fix the healthcare problem in the US. Her Model UN adventures began with NCSC XXXV and are by no means confined to the committee rooms. In her free time, which is basically nonexistent, she coordinates Mobile Soup Kitchen and brings soup and smiles to DC’s park residents.

Dan Franklin is our co-director. Dan is a senior in the Georgetown College, majoring in Economics with a minor in History. He has previous experience staffing the IRC's NAIMUN conferences, but this will be his first time at NCSC. Dan was inspired to join this committee after taking a class on the history of North Africa. Outside of the classroom he is involved in the Georgetown University Credit Union and the student investment fund. This summer, he will be a corporate slave, working in Credit Suisse's Investment Banking Division.

The committee is a future simulation of the 2010 status of Western Sahara. The goals for the weekend are to overcome the historical roots of the problem and to address the new developments. Our first topic will ask you to craft an effective international response to the referendum results and impase. Our second topic will focus on the oil discovery and the subsequent claim of Mauritania over the territory.

If you have any questions about the committee or the conference please do not hesitate to contact us. If you are returning to NCSC, then welcome back. If you are new to NCSC, get ready for an amazing experience!

Hoya Saxa!

Raluca Tavaluc
rtt5(at)georgetown.edu

Madeline Sopko
ms647(at)georgetown.edu